Snowmass

Snowmass can teach us all a lesson in resort development: You needn’t turn your base into Wally World to attract families. There’s a refreshing absence of bungee trampolines and alpine coasters; Snowmass caters to the younger set with 3,132 acres of kid-friendly greens and blues, three terrain parks (no. 7), world-class grooming (no. 3), high-speed lifts (no. 4), ski-in, ski-out lodging (no. 4) and its innovative Treehouse Adventure Center, which is surely to thank for the resort’s consistently high ranking in Family Programs for the fourth straight year. The 25,000-square-foot facility boasts a climbing gym, teen activities, kids’ retail and a host of themed rooms for ages eight weeks to four years, all right at the base of the slopes. The center also brings Snowmass’s ski-school check-in, rentals and family après under one roof. But to land in the overall Top 5, a resort needs to lure more than just families, and Snowmass’s high-quality snow and varied mountain layout please the masses. “As good as it gets,” exclaims one reader. “Wonderful variety of terrain.” The whole package in one convenient place. —Tess Weaver